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A fifth of top managers ‘lack English’ to do the job

One in five of top managers lack the English skills to do their job, according to new research conducted by Cambridge English Language Assessment and QS university rankings. The research, based on a survey of 5373 employers in 88 countries, was launched in the EU Parliament on 27 September.

According to a Cambridge English Language Assessment press release, the employers surveyed in their English at Work ‘ overview’ believe that 22 per cent of their top managers do not have the level of English required but just four per cent s are planning to improve employee’s English.

The skills gap varies dramatically from country to country. In India, nine out of ten ‘top managers’ have the English skills to perform their jobs effectively, compared with just six per cent in China. In France, Belgium and Switzerland, only five per cent of top managers lack the necessary English language skills, compared to 23 per cent in Spain.